Cathay

The Kingdom of Cathay

History

Cathay was born out of a major conflict involving the Antozan Commonwealth and Lasanar, along with over a half-dozen other realms in the Far East.

The Antozan War

The Antozan Commonwealth had long been an ally of the Feudal Republic of Lasanar. During the Second Treason of Colasan, in which former Lasanarian Minister of Defense and Duke of Colasan Doyle Drake seceded from the Republic, Antoza betrayed its alliance with Lasanar and sided with Doyle. Doyle's revolt was very quickly suppressed (and Doyle himself killed), and so the gambit by King Corey of Antoza to achieve Colasan for the Commonwealth failed. Corey quickly tried to mend the fences with Lasanar, offering military support against the remnants of Doyle's "Republic of Colasan" after it was no longer needed, but the damage was done. The alliance was in tatters.

The History of Lemanaziel

The County of Lemanaziel plays a supporting role in the war that led to the creation of Cathay. Once a territory of Lasanar, it long ago joined the League of Anacan when Anacan seceded from the Commonwealth. As Lasanar had many territories and was not interested in hostilities with the League, it did not forcibly demand Lemanaziel back, and was content to give up the region in exchange for good relations.

Later, when the League was destroyed by the Commonwealth and Nighthelm, Lasanar likewise did not insist upon the return of Lemanaziel and allowed the Commonwealth to retain it.

The War in the South

Nighthelm and Soliferum went to war shortly after the Second Treason of Colasan. Lasanar (which was allied with Soliferum) did not initially take part in the war, but did insist that the Commonwealth (which was allied with Nighthelm) likewise remain out -- as Lasanar was not going to turn their back to the Antozans after their interest in Colasan had been made clear. The Antozans bristled at what they saw as foreign interference in their own affairs.

King Corey might have been able to take the moral high ground at this interference, but several letters were intercepted by Lasanar's agents indicating that Corey still had designs on Colasan, and that "if Nighthelm were here with us, we'd be in Colasan by now."

Corey also offered Lemanaziel back to Lasanar in exchange for ending their political interdiction. Though the Grand Council of Lasanar initially accepted this offer, it turned out to be nothing more than a ruse -- a delaying tactic designed to appease Lasanar while Antoza quietly supported Nighthelm.

After months of diplomacy between Lasanar's Grand Council and King Corey, the combined resentment in Lasanar of Corey's empty promises, lust for Colasan, and lingering bitterness over the betrayal of their alliance led the Grand Council to vote, 6-2, to declare war on the Antozan Commonwealth.

The First Battle of Anacan

The political nature of Lasanar before the war was such that it could not (or would not) commit swiftly and decisively to military action, even though it was obvious to many that there would inevitably be some. An unfortunate consequence of this realization (for Lasanar) was that the Antozans suspected that they would be attacked, and the geography of the Far East dictated that the war would be won or lost in the great city of Anacan. Lasanar could not go around Anacan without a journey of several days, and it could not reach the rest of the commonwealth otherwise. Lasanar, King Corey and Duke Alpha of Anacan knew, had to march through Anacan, and so Anacan was the object of the most significant fortification effort ever to be seen throughout the world.

By the time Lasanar actually declared war, Anacan had nearly 12,000CS of militia. Lasanar and Greater Aenilia both attacked the city in the First Battle of Anacan, which was a decisive victory for the Antozans; they suffered only moderate casualties to their militia and captured over a dozen of Lasanar's and Aenilia's nobles -- all of whom had little experience with protracted siegecraft.

Despite the loss in Anacan, the Antozans could not actually invade Lasanar or any of its allies. The mobile Antozan army was approximately three quarters the size of Lasanar's alone, and the same geography that made Anacan a battleground for Lasanar made the city of Colasan the only real target for Antoza -- and Antoza had no available allies to call upon to assault the walls of Colasan.

The Second Battle of Anacan

Having learned several lessons in their first attempt, Lasanar's Grand Council, led by then-Prime Minister [[[Hawekstone_Family|Kestrelle Hawkestone]], Duke and Minister of Defense Galiard Scarlett, Grand Justiciar and Baron Semon |Ardeus Miranar, and Minister of Finances Mallory Mac Branain put all of their diplomatic efforts into gathering more allies to topple the great walls of the city.

Sartania and Arcachon both marched with Lasanar in the second battle, though Aenilia was tied up assisting Soliferum in the south. Lasanar alone fielded one of its largest armies -- just over 20,00CS. The allied armies were waylaid by the infiltrator, Azurei (who had betrayed Lasanar himself), and between his efforts and a terrible case of overcrowding on the roads, not all of the army was able to arrive at the same time.

Even so, the battle went better than the first had gone, and still more of the black art of siegecraft was learned by the allied Generals.

The Third Battle of Anacan

Sacrificing immediate gains for the long-term resolution of the war, then-General Galiard of Lasanar agreed to support Soliferum in the south in exchange for reciprocal support from Soliferum, Aenilia, and Zonasa (all Lasanar's allies) once the Nighthelm war had ended. Lasanar marched straight to Masahakons, further south than Lasanar's banner had been seen in years. Nighthelm immediately entered into negotiations with Soliferum, Lasanar, and their allies upon seeing the approaching force, and Lasanar accepted the terms of surrender offered by Nighthelm without ever attacking Masahakons.

That mission accomplished, Lasanar set about raising the largest army the Far East had ever seen. After taking Lemanaziel from Antoza by force, Lasanar lured Antoza into attacking it, satisfying a condition laid down by King Osric of Ethiala whereupon they would only assist in attacking Antoza (rather than defending Lasanar) until Lasanar's lands were invaded.

The combined armies of Lasanar, Sartania, Ethiala, Zonasa, Greater Aenilia, and Soliferum laid siege to Anacan. Over 55,000CS marched for the city, of which about 50,000CS actually made it all at once. The result was one of the bloodiest battles in the history of the Far East. Thousands lost their lives. The Antozan garrison in Anacan, then the largest militia force ever deployed by a sovereign realm anywhere at over 21,000CS, was reduced by over half. The fotress-calibre walls were reduced. Though the allied armies ultimately did not take Anacan, the damage done to the city that day was measured by Lasanar's Minister of Finances at over 8,000 gold.

The Final Battle of Anacan

Antoza then made two critical mistakes: they dispatched a skilled assassin to kill Prime Minister Kestrelle of Lasanar, and they spent all of their gold restoring the walls of Anacan rather than the militia.

The assassination attempt, while very nearly successful, had the side effect of bringing Arcaea into the war on Lasanar's side in a condemnation of attempted regicide. Arcaean support was critical in light of the fact that Soliferum could not commit to another assault.

Lasanar, Ethiala, Arcaea, Sartania, Zonasa, and Aenilia all returned for a fourth and final assault on the walls of Anacan.